LMC creates 'core area' on its own

LUDHIANA: Ludhiana municipal corporation (LMC) is in news for wrong reasons. LMC authorities have been sanctioning building plans in several areas of the city under "core area" category for last many years, but state government has not issued any notification declaring these areas as "core area".

According to the information, Yogesh Dewan of city under RTI Act had demanded information from LMC regarding the condition of front-set-back applicable on the plots of Model Town.

In response, Sanjeev Uppal assistant public information officer and head draftsman Hardev Singh submitted in writing before state information commissioner PK Verma that certain areas of Ludhiana falling under jurisdiction of LMC were declared "core areas" by the resolution number 127. They also admitted that state government has not issued any
notification in this regard as yet.

Earlier, LMC officials through letter number 554/JC/RTI/1D mentioned that eight feet is necessary to be left vacant as front-set-back for plots of Model Town. But dissatisfied with the incomplete information and doubting the authenticity of information, Dewan appealed to the state information commission for information.

Taking a u-turn on the information provided earlier, LMC on 6 August, 2001 provided new information to Dewan stating that Model Town is a core area. When Dewan demanded government's notification, as per building bye laws 1997 issued by a competent authority, the officers attending the proceedings admitted that there is no such notification.

"A criminal case should be registered against senior town planner for hiding this fact from residents," demanded Dewan.